Large Skib basket

£120.00

This traditional Irish skib is made from locally grown organic willow, and is made here by basket maker Sabine Wolniczak in her Bangor workshop in a pattern that has existed for centuries. Approx 21 1/2″ diameter.

Description

This traditional Irish skib is made from locally grown organic willow, and is made here by basket maker Sabine Wolniczak in her Bangor workshop in a pattern that has existed for centuries. Approx 21 1/2″ diameter.

The skib was a low, flat circular basket. It’s main use was for straining and then serving potatoes. When the potates that had been boiling on the open fire were cooked, the pot containing the boiling water and potatoes was spilled out into the skib. The basket was then brought indoors – the absence of tables and furniture meant that frequently the skib was effectively the table, and this explains why some were so large.